Tag: friendly

Posted in communication, friends, life, loving others, missions, Scripture

No Trespassing

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” John 13:35

It was kinda confusing.  A while back I was walking in our neighborhood.  It was early in the morning and the birds were singing, the sun was shining and as Mister Rogers would say, “It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”  As I was walking, I would look at the different houses and their yards.  I noticed that several, well actually more than several of the homes, had no trespassing signs in their yard or stuck on the house. One home had six or seven signs and about a half dozen security cameras.  I think they must have had something very important inside.

I’m not sure what the deal is but there probably is a valid reason. But being from the friendly side of the South, we generally didn’t stick “no trespassing” signs up.  More than likely, we would stick up a “hey, y’all come on in” sign.  Of course, that was several decades ago and maybe now they have some not so friendly signs up too.  At any rate this is America, and you can pretty much put up what you want as long as it isn’t too mean.  But then there was this one house that confused me.

As you probably can guess they had a no trespassing sign.  But right next to the no trespassing sign they had a big welcome sign.  It caused me to wonder which one was right.  I didn’t know if I was welcome to come up on the porch and sit, or was I going to get shot if I did.  I wasn’t sure so I kept right on walking, and I was real sure I didn’t want to find out. To be sure there are lots of times when we seem to send a conflicting message.

Sometimes I see this in churches.  There will be a sign on the message board that says everyone welcome.  There might even be a parking spot in the parking lot that says, “reserved for guests.”  Sometimes they have people standing at the door to shake your hand when you come in.  But then I wonder, “do they really mean that or are they trying to act nice?”  I mean everyone expects churches to be friendly because Jesus was.  He liked everybody.  I heard a preacher say once that it was pretty amazing that the people who were the least like Jesus felt the most comfortable around Him.  It seemed they liked Him, and He liked them.

On the other hand, Jesus was always bumping heads with the religious elite.  Theoretically they should have been the most like Him, but they didn’t like Him and I’m not sure He was too fond of them.  Of course, Jesus was always trying to find the best in others but some of those guys in the New Testament were really mean.  I don’t think there was a welcome sign on their house for either Jesus or the ones He hung out with.

However, there was one group they really didn’t like and that was the tax collectors.  They worked for the Roman government, and they were seen as thieves and traitors.

Do you know what Jesus did?  Jesus invited one of them to be a part of His inner circle.  Can you even imagine that?  “Hey Matthew,” Jesus said, “why don’t you come and be a part of our group?”  I bet the religious guys about fainted and so did the rest of Jesus’ followers.  I can just hear them now, “Well, there goes the neighborhood.”  They might have been right, but Jesus was always more concerned for the neighbor than the neighborhood.  He really loved people.

When Jesus was explaining to those who followed Him how people would know that they were friends with Jesus, do you know what He said?  It wasn’t because they went to church on Sunday.  It wasn’t because they knew all the answers.  And it wasn’t even because they wore the right kind of clothes when they were hanging around Jesus.  Nope.  Jesus said that people would know that we were friends with Jesus because of the way they loved—and in particular loved each other.  This is never a popular topic when I speak in church. The reason is it is a lot easier to dress right, talk right, and go to church, than to love someone—particularly someone who is not very lovable.  But that is what He said do.

There is a secret to loving others.  All we need to do is remember that when we were not lovable at all, Jesus chose to love us.  And if we will let that roll around in our heads and hearts a while, I think we will find that loving others is just a little bit easier.  The next time you are all worked up about something, maybe trying to love someone, just get up next to Jesus and sit awhile.  You won’t find a no trespassing sign there…just one that says “welcome.”  And you can just sit back and let Him handle whatever you’re stressed about…because He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in friends, Grace, loving others, priorities, Scripture

Coon Hunting

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.” Romans 9:2-3

You know, whatever it takes.  I loved being a pastor and I loved it when people started coming to church.  I’ve always tried to encourage the folks who attended our church to make sure that everyone…and I mean everyone, felt welcome.  Church is not a country club where you pay your dues to be served.  Church is more like a hospital where people come because they know they need help. Those that are already there are not there to be served but to serve. So when a guest comes to church it should be treated like a big deal…because it is.

Now being friendly isn’t costly—in fact, often it blesses us more than the one on the receiving end of our friendliness.  I figure it might just give them a good reason to come back.  Of course there are those times when you need to go just a little further.  And this time…was one of those times.  When I pastored in another town, a family began attending our church  and I did my best to make them feel welcome.  Mom and the kids seemed very open and before long they were regular attenders.  Dad, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as open.  This one, I thought to myself, needs a little extra effort and that is how it happened.

It turned out that Brad was a coon hunter.  He happened to mention it one day at church and I told him I had never been coon hunting and he began to describe this late night adventure.  Now honestly, running around in the woods in the dark in the middle of the night wasn’t something on my bucket list but seeing Brad get closer to God was…so I went coon hunting.

Brad told me to show up at his house about dark and we would leave from there.  He had a coon dog and a flashlight…oh, and a gun.  We began walking out towards the woods behind his house and before long the old coon dog began to get pretty excited.  So Brad let the dog go, waited just a minute, and then said to me, “Let’s go.” Well, I soon found out that coon hunting isn’t like following a trail in the woods.  Coon hunting is like walking, and running, through the Amazon Rainforest, at night trying to follow a bellowing dog who doesn’t necessarily want to be followed.  We were slapped in the face by branches, tripped over big roots, and crossed a couple of creeks. Can someone say, “Wet feet?”  Yup, just like that old song about going over the river and through the woods…that is what we did…but there wasn’t a grandmother or a house anywhere in the picture.

So eventually, the coon dog gave up and so did we.  We tramped back through the woods and after an hour or so, found ourselves back at my car and his house.  We were wet, tired and coonless. I told Brad thanks for taking me on such an adventure and I hoped to see him Sunday at church.  I drove home and slipped in between the sheets somewhere around two in the morning.  I was somewhere beyond tired but also sure it was the right thing.

Best I remember Brad  did start coming to church a little more regularly but I don’t believe he made a Jesus commitment…at least not then.  Occasionally we would talk about the great adventure and we would laugh about me tramping through the woods in the middle of the night. Fortunately, there wasn’t a second invitation to go coon hunting.  Brad didn’t know Jesus yet but he did know about mercy. Smile.

So as we journey along this Jesus road we need to ask ourselves, “What are we willing to do to be Jesus to the ones we bump into?”  They say the best sermons are the ones not preached from the pulpit.  Amen to that. Someone also said, “People don’t care now much you know until they know how much you care.”  Amen to that too. Paul, the guy in the Bible who wrote most of the New Testament said that he was willing to lose his relationship with Jesus if it meant his friends could be saved.  Wow…that is commitment.  That is amazing.

When you are trying to decide what to do to reach people…or what not to do…just listen for the voice of the Whisperer.  Most likely you will hear His gentle voice and when you do just do what He says.  Trust Him.  Believe Him. Share Him.  Oh, and should it involve chasing a coon dog through the woods in the middle of the night, don’t worry.  He’s got that.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, Integrity, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Jesus Jars

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

And just like that—it was over. The days and weeks leading up to Christmas are so exciting.  When I was a kid, it was almost unbearable. We’ve all heard the saying, “slower than Christmas.” Well, that was certainly true then, but as an adult who has seen a bunch of Christmases, they seem to come not only regularly but quickly. It seems we kick off the New Year and suddenly we are popping firecrackers in July and then getting ready for another Christmas. Amazing.

While Christmas comes quickly, it also seems to go just as quickly.  It seems just yesterday it was Christmas…oh wait…it was. Smile. But with all the anticipation, the last few days before almost seemed like hours.  Easy come and quickly go.  While there are many things I enjoy about Christmas, (not least being the food…can someone say, “ho, ho, ho) you must appreciate the kinder and gentler spirit most people express. If we are honest, most of us are usually just a little softer than we are the rest of the year. We smile a little more, laugh a little more, and show kindness a little more. That Christmas kindness can sure brighten an overcast sky or heart.  But as quickly the day itself comes and goes, so does that Christmas spirit.

A guy named Harlan Miller said, “I wish we could put some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” Well, Harlan, I’ve got some good news—we can.  You see Paul, the guy in the Bible, writing about Jesus followers says, “Now we have this treasure in clay jars.” Wow, we are literally jars of Jesus just waiting to be opened. And when a Jesus jar is opened guess what should come out?  You guessed it—Jesus! He is the treasure inside us. And the Christmas spirit is just the aroma of Jesus wafting through the season.

That same verse goes on to say, “so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” In other words, we have the power to be like Jesus not just at Christmas, but each and every day.  It starts with Him and not with us. So let me encourage you on this day after THE day to go ahead and crack the lid and let some Jesus slosh on the people around you.  Who knows, it just might cause them to break into an out of season chorus of “Jingle Bells.” And remember, it’s not something we have to create, it is something we simply need to release and if you need a little help getting that lid off, just ask your Dearest Daddy for a little help. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Ordinary Things

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

It was one strange bouquet of emotions.  It was the end of a good Sunday.  We had a great day at church and after a good nap we headed down to Paducah to return a lawn mower.  We had ordered the mower online and when it arrived it was damaged…of course.  Well, that meant borrowing something big enough to haul it back to the store. About that time our Paducah tribe came to the rescue with their SUV.  They hauled it there and we drove down to finish the return and of course see the family.

We headed to the store that we had ordered it from, returned it, and then celebrated with a trip to Cold Stone.  It was awesome and of course, Papa had to taste the flavors the three grandsons had ordered…as well my daughter’s. After all the eating and sampling, we headed on back to Harrisburg.  Judy, my wife, was a little hungry so I told her we would whip in and buy some diesel and then swing into McDonald’s.  It was a plan.  When we got back in town, I pulled into the station and began to fill up the Jetta.  It was just about then that things went…south.

I decided to clean the windshield since we were there and there must have been something in the water because it was a mess.  Usually, they use plain water but there was nothing plain about this stuff.  While I was trying to get that off the windshield, a man at the other side of pump started talking to me.  Well, between his not too clear speech and my not too good hearing, there was a lot of nodding and agreeing to things that I probably didn’t agree with.  Well, honestly after a while, it was time to draw this conversation to a close.  So, with a bit of frustration about the stuff on the windshield and the too long conversation with my friend, I finally said, “See you later.”

I walked back to the driver’s side, opened the door, cranked the engine, and proceeded to drive off.  About 1.5 seconds after the car started moving there was a very discomforting noise from the back of the car.  I can’t describe it, but I knew exactly what had happened.  I had totally forgotten the nozzle was still in the car and as I drove off…it didn’t come with me.  Well, I immediately stopped and then circled back around not knowing what to expect. Had the nozzle ripped part of the car off? Was fuel spilling on the ground? Had the fuel hose been torn from the pump?  It was not a good moment and there were plenty of emotions rolling around in my mind.

The short list included being frustrated that the guy had distracted me, anger at myself for forgetting that the nozzle was still attached to the car, and a big dose of embarrassment. Oh, and there was one more big emotion…gratitude. It was like a bouquet of weeds and a rose. You see, amazingly, while the hose was laying on the ground, it was not spewing fuel nor was it broken.  Also, the car really had no damage to speak of.  There were no dents, no dings, and not even a scratch.  One small part of the filler thing was pulled loose but that really wasn’t important.  Amazing.

First, I know I probably need to turn in my “man card” for having done this.  If I have said it once, I have said it twenty-five times, “I can’t believe I did that.”  And honestly, it is all on me.  My long-winded friend was not to blame, and I had no right to be frustrated about the windshield either.  Nope…it was my fault.  But here is the part I love.  This is the part that forced me to write this story when I would have much more rather kept it off the page.  What forced me to write was my overwhelming sense of gratitude for my Dearest Daddy watching out for His child.  I mean this could have been nasty, but He had it all under control. I can even say “thank-you” for this because I would have missed the blessing of His kindness if it hadn’t had happened.

Well, like the song says, “He is a good, good Father.”  Hans Christian Andersen said, “The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things.”  He is so right.  Our world is filled with love notes from a God that loves His creation dearly.  How incredible is that? Paul wrote in the New Testament part of the Bible, “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So, whatever we do, whatever happens, believe He is in control and be sure and give Him thanks.  I know more than ever that whatever it is, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, thankful

Coach

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” Proverbs 18:24

We have a new staff member at 217. If you are a regular reader of “Grits” you know a lot about the Taylor tribe.  Included in that information is the fact that my wife, Judy, and I have an Airbnb on top of our garage.  It is a classy two-bedroom apartment that we rent out as a short-term vacation rental.  We have lots of people stay and well, it is quite fun.  Our staff is small at 217.  There is Judy who manages everything and trust me that is a big job.  She also helps with the cleaning when needed.  We have a great lady who does the bulk of our cleaning, and she is awesome!  She is always willing to go the extra mile and when Judy and I need to be gone she makes sure the water fountains stay running and flowers keep blooming. My job is to serve as the occasional handy man and the guy who mows and trims the grass. It is not the most important job but trust me in grass growing season I am definitely the man.

So that is the staff at 217…or at least it was.  About a year ago a new and unexpected member was added to the team.  His name is Coach. So, here’s the deal.  Last year our neighbors, who are also awesome, decided to get a cat to make sure no unwanted rodents took up residence in their garage. So, they got a cat and named him Coach. Now to be honest I am not a big fan of cats.  Most of them are a little bossy and arrogant so at first, I was pretty cool to the idea of a new feline friend.  And then it happened.

As it turns out, Coach has more personality than most people I know.  He is cool and calm and way friendly.  You know how some cats think they own the place?  Well, Coach is satisfied with just working the crowd.  If Judy and I are out on the patio, he will sway his way over and just make his presence known in a gentle way.  It seems he is saying, “Hey, my name is Coach and I just wanted to say hi.” Now really, this cat has it down.  You can’t help but like him.  Now if I am cool on cats, Judy is cold on cats, but not this one.  While she wouldn’t want one of her own, she sure doesn’t mind that he came to the neighborhood.

Now this is the 217 part.  When a guest pulls up at 217 and parks, it is not unusual for Coach to come on over and say hi.  It almost seems that he is just watching and waiting for them to come.  You would think he had peeked at Judy’s reservation book to see when guests were coming.  At first, we were a little concerned that the guests might see him as a bother but not to worry.  He is a hit almost every time.

Earlier this week, I came home from work and there was our guest bending down to pet Coach. At first, I always explained that he wasn’t our cat but belonged to the neighbors. But now that he is a social rock star, I let that go.  I mean if the guests want to think that Mr. Cool belongs to me who am I to correct them?  Way to go coach.  Way to go.

Do you know what?  If I were a cat, I would want to be like Coach.  But wait…why can’t I, why can’t we, be like Coach now?  Why can’t we make a conscious decision to be kind? Friendly? Loving?  Hmmm…the truth is, we can.  Every day we bump into people, dozens of them, and have the opportunity to make them feel special.  Every day we bump into people and have the opportunity to be a friend, to offer a smile, to make their day a little better.  Every day we have the choice.  I like that.  I want that.

I know that all cats are not like Coach, and I certainly know that not all people are like Coach, but I also know we all can be.  Tucked away in the Christian Bible is a book called Proverbs.  In that book is this, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” In other words, if we want friends, we need to be one.  If we want others to like us…we need to be likable. I saw a quote today that said, “Our vibes draw our tribes.”  That is so true.  So, let’s take a lesson from Coach and be the kind of person who makes someone’s day.  Need a little help?  Well, the “Head Coach” is just waiting to lend a hand.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne